iCORES drill sites

Description

The iCORES team collected data relating to ice accumulation on Pine Island Glacier to determine whether changes in the accumulation rates are impacting the thinning of the glacier.

Ten sites were chosen in total. This project was part of the second science traverse (2014/15 season). At each site a 50m deep ice core was dry drilled (i.e. without drilling fluids or hot water). Each ice core was then cut by a band saw in the field to one quarter sections lengthways for retrograde freezing to the UK. The remaining three quarters of the core was left on site.

The quarter sections will be analysed in the UK for stable water isotopes and major ionic chemistry at high resolution to reveal seasonal cycles which will allow the cores to be accurately dated and provide accumulation rate histories.

References

1. iSTAR - drilling into history

2. iSTAR - summary of activities

Field photo

The iSTAR team prepare to lower the coring tube into the hole to cut and extract an ice core segment. Alex Taylor, BAS